By Neto Baptiste
The wait for a Premier Division football title is over for the Jennings Community as, following Sunday night’s 7-0 trouncing of Empire FC, the Grenades FC were officially crowned champions of the Antigua and Barbuda Football Association (ABFA) top flight.
Needing to win after rivals All Saints United had put themselves at the top of the standings by just one point following a 3-0 victory over Ottos Rangers earlier that night, Grenades made no mistakes, going three-nil up by the end of the first half before clinically sealing the title in the second half.
Grenades were ahead in as early as the first minute when Sherman Augustine struck from close range. The champions were 2-0 ahead just 29 minutes later before Rakeem Henry put them three-nil up on minute 42.
The Jennings men continued to dominate the contest in the second half with goals from Carl Osborne in minute 75, Ridel Stanislas in minute 77, Keanu Barrette in minute 84 and Donavan Jn-Baptiste in the 90th minute.
Empire were reduced to 10 men in the 82nd minute after Rakeem Joseph was red-carded for serious foul play. The Gray’s Farm men finished on 24 points and ninth in the standings.
Coach of the Grenades team Devita Samuel, who became a part of history as the first female head coach to win a Premier Division title, was justly overjoyed.
“When I heard that final whistle it was me saying to myself that we did it. I would have been watching Grenades for years and I’ve seen the team come so close and just to be a part of finally winning the championship that when I heard that final whistle I saw some players fall to the ground, some players started to cry, so it was just emotions and I am so happy. I went to sleep last night happy; I woke up and the first thing that was on my mind was that this is real, this happened,” she said.
The win pushed Grenades to 48 points, two points ahead of United who finished second in the competition.
Samuel said it was a special feeling sharing her success with father, former national striker and former coach of the Grenades team, Derrick “Pretty Boy” Edwards.
“Last night when we won, my dad came to me and hugged me and said ‘job well done’ and that’s all I really wanted, just to see my dad, the greatness, coming to you and saying job well done, I am just so happy,” she said.
In the preceding fixture, All Saints United had strikes from Nazir McBurnette in minute 64, Kenduka Challenger in minute 70, and Roneba Cordice in minute 87 as they easily dismissed Ottos Rangers to move to 46 points and grab silver medal honours. Rangers ends on 25 points and seventh in the standings.
In Sunday’s opening fixture, Swetes FC defeated Villa Lions 2-1 in a close and aggressive contest. Reuben Reubel and Shackwon Simon each scored once for Swetes while Zahiem Green scored the lone goal for Villa.
Two Villa players were sent off in the dying stages of the contest with Shahoi Dorsette red-carded in minute 88 for ‘denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity’ and Joylan Sinclair sent off in added time for ‘using excessive force.’
Swetes move to 28 points while Villa remain on 37 points.